Whānau Friendly

Katie Bruce: ‘I’m making good money and have a good work/life balance.’

Second-generation V.I.P. franchisee feels part of the family – and gains time for her kids

After an extended OE that changed her life, Katie Bruce returned to her native Canterbury with a husband, twin daughters and their younger brother. Wanting some flexibility in her working life and child-care arrangements, she went looking for a suitable business. Fortunately, she knew just where to go.

‘My father, Neil Morgan, has been a V.I.P. Home Services franchisee in Canterbury for some time, doing lawnmowing and all sorts of outdoor work,’ she explains. ‘V.I.P. also has an indoor (cleaning) franchise, which seemed like a really good option for me. Two years on, I know I made the right decision, as I’m making good money and have a good work/life balance.’

Katie’s previous work was in the hospitality sector: ‘Long hours, no shortage of hard work, but no great rewards,’ she sighs. ‘I wanted to go into business and I wanted my children, now 10 and 8 to see an example of work and commitment for the future.

‘I did think about setting up a cleaning company on my own, but I had no business experience. The more I looked, the better the feelings I got for V.I.P. My dad had always spoken highly of them, especially the back office support. They feel like an extended family, the name brings in clients, and the fee structure meant I would always know what my outgoings would be each month. After meeting John and Estelle Logan (V.I.P’s national franchisors for New Zealand), I just knew they would answer any questions at any time. In short, I felt V.I.P. and I were a good fit!’

Support in troubled times

After learning the basics, Katie began her on-the-job training with Christchurch-based couple, Arch and Judith Zaloum, who were about to retire after a 20 year V.I.P. career. ‘My husband, Jon and I didn’t want to get heavily into debt, and the franchise was an investment that we could finance through savings. Arch and Judith had the perfect sized business which I could take on part-time at first, and they were wonderful to work with for my first month.’

It was all looking good – but Katie started in earnest at the beginning of March 2020, and within weeks had no income because of the first lockdown. ‘V.I.P. really came into their own at this point,’ says Katie with feeling. ‘Our fees were waived for the non-working period, the franchisor paid me my income guarantee, and they worked overtime to help us in every way. We were told exactly what we needed to do, how to apply for the Government subsidy, what to say to our clients, regular updates and virtual meetings, and even a quiz to keep our morale up. ‘At the end I felt, “Whew, I’d never have carried on if I’d been in my own business as a sole trader!” V.I.P. say they really want you to succeed, and there could be no better example of just how much they mean it.’

A bigger business

Once the lockdown drama was over, Katie set about re-booting her business. ‘I was very pleased with the business I’d bought and soon formed a bond with all my clients, but it had always been my intention to grow and I found the V.I.P. name made it easy. In a sense, I was too successful. In a short time I’d doubled my turnover and got to the point where I was being swamped with work. That was great, but it didn’t quite fit my aim of having a good work/life balance with my family!’

V.I.P. came to the rescue again. Franchisees have the option to sell surplus work back to the company for others to handle, which can provide a nice capital gain, but Katie chose a different option and decided to employ someone. ‘I’d never employed anyone in my life, but John and Estelle were excellent helping me with an employment contract and it couldn’t have been smoother.

‘Having someone to work with me has restored my family life and I’m still making more money than I would doing anything else.’

No shortage of work

‘V.I.P. has opportunities for both Indoor and Outdoor franchisees throughout the country,’ says Estelle Logan. ‘As Katie has discovered, we not only support our franchisees through thick and thin – we have a system which ensures there is never a shortage of work and opportunity.

‘You can start at whatever level you like and we will give you a great customer base from which to build, and an income guarantee after training to give you certainty. Thereafter, the sky is the limit – you can grow as much as you like or set a level that allows you to fit in with other demands such as family. Call us to find out what would suit you.’

Katie says, ‘Before I bought the franchise, my husband said, “If it makes you feel a better mum and happier person, then do it!” Well, I’ve done it, and it’s been very rewarding. If you are friendly, smiley and energetic, I couldn’t recommend V.I.P. more – they treat you like you’re one of their own.’

Advertiser Info

V.I.P. Home Services

Contact Nationwide Enquiries

P 0800 84 74 96

Estelle@viphomeservices.nz

www.viphomeservices.co.nz